Drawer construction for a refrigerator,cabinet or other enclosure



United States Patent 886,192 4/1908 DeCanio Inventor Paul De LorenzoWarren, Michigan Appl. No. 806,071

Filed March 11, 1969 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Assignee By mesneassignments, to

Clark Equipment Company Buchanan, Michigan -a corporation of Delaware IDRAWER CONSTRUCTION FOR A REFRIGERATOR, CABINET OR OTHER ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,974 4/1923 Heotes 2,251,960 8/1941Smith 312/338 3,471,209 10/1969 Howard 312/333 Primary ExaminerReinaldoP. Machado Attorney-Whittemore, Hulbert and Belknap through thewell-insulated side walls of the enclosure or cabinet. Each housing tubeis fixedly connected at its rear to and within the wall, and the returnrod is similarly connected at its front to the forward drawer closure;and antifriction bearings guide the rod for longitudinal slide in thetube. A coil spring encircles each rod adjacent the rear of the latter,abutting rearwardly against a fixed stop shoulder, so that when thedrawer and its return rods are fully extended by a user the spring abutsforwardly against fixed stop means, thereby storing up spring energy.This will commence the rearward return of the drawer when such return isdesired and the drawer is accordingly released by the user.

Patented No v. 10, 1970 PAUL DE LORENZO DRAWER CONSTRUCTION FOR AREFRIGERATOR, CABINET OR OTHER ENCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFIELD The invention finds application in the field of refrigeratedcabinet constructions of the sliding drawer type in which, in theinterest of maintaining optimum efficiency of a refrigerating unitordinarily associated with such cabinetry, it is desirable that the opentopped interior of the enclosure be left exposed as little as possible,i.e., only when the immediate access to the interior is being had. Theidea of the invention is equally adaptable to pivotal door-type tray orlike units.

As for the specific nature of the cabinet structure, the aim of theinvention is not at all limited; that is, it may be a service unitproviding its own laminated maple or other top service shelf, or it maybe an under-counter unit. Applications to restaurant and self-servicechilled food dispenser units are contemplated; as are application infood establishments pur veying partially or wholly prepared solid frozenproducts, dairy products, meats and the like.

I am unaware of any prior art dealing directly with the type of slidingor equivalent drawer cabinet constructions such as are contemplated bythe invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention a slidingdrawer type of cabinet enclosure, including an open topped drawerappropriately guided for its action in an insulated casing or the like,has a pair of like elongated tubular, spring-type guide and return unitsdisposed adjacent the sides of the drawer. An important feature of theinvention is that these units extend front-to-rear through the usualhollow and well-insulated side walls of the cabinet proper, so as toprevent freezing of any condensate within or about each unit during thelife of the installation, such as might detract from the efficiency ofits operation. Each of the two units includes an elongated outer guidetube which is fixedly connected at its rear to the cabinet structureproper, and an elongated inner sliding rod connected its forward end tothe forward closure panel. The rod is guided for minimal frictionalresistance to sliding action in the tube by means of fixed,longitudinally spaced bearings within and adjacent the forward end ofthe outer tube; and the rear end of the rod has a stop abutment,adjacent which a fairly short coil compression spring abuts rearwardlyand is adapted to react.

The rod and tube units are preferably disposed at a slight upwardly andforwardly inclined angle, so that the return of the slidable componentwill normally be primarily under the influence of gravity; however, whenthe sliding drawer structure is fully retracted or withdrawn forwardly,the springs are ultimately compressed axially, in engaging suitableforward stop means in the tubes. They are thereby preloaded, to anextent dependent on the free length and rate of the springs, to becapable of commencing the rearward return of the slidable drawercomponents, when access to the interior of the cabinet is no longerdesired and the drawer is manually released These arrangements ensurethat the open-topped sliding structure is left exposed no longer than isabsolutely necessary, lending to aminimum loss of refrigeratingefficiency of the installation as a whole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of adrawer-type refrigerated cabinet or related enclosure such as iscontemplated by the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, as from the arrow 2 ofFIG. I, being partially broken away and in vertical front-to-rearsection to illustrate a relationship of the return rod and tube units tothe insulated interior of the side cabinets walls;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged scale view, partially broken away, invertical axial section through one of the tubular guide and returnunits;

LII

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in transverse vertical section on line 44ofFIG. 2 and 3; and

.FIG. 5 isa view in vertical transverse cross section on line 5-5 ofFIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a typicalrefrigerated enclosure or cabinet structure, generally designated I0, towhich the improvements of the invention are applied, although asindicated above, many different other specific types of installationsare in con templation. As shown, the structure 10 includes hollow sidewalls I2, 13 which are well insulated throughout the height, width anddepth or breadth thereof (FIG. 4) by a known type ofthermal insulation14. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 the enclosure structure 10includes slidable top and bottom drawers l5 and I6, respectively, whichmay be considered to be structurally the same, although not necessarilyso. As illustrated, these drawers each include side walls 17appropriately guided by cabinet walls 12, 13 for a minimum frictionsliding action within the same, a suitable bottom, and a front closurepanel 18, which will in most installations be appropriately in sulatedinternally, like the cabinet side walls l2, 13.

As indicated in dotted line in FIG. 2 the rear portion of the cabinetenclosure, as separated from the forward portion by an appropriateupright partition 20, will house the usual components of a conventionalsmall refrigerating system, including a refrigerant circulatingevaporator 21, an air circulating fan or blower 22 and a unit 23 housingthe remainder of the refrigerating system, such as compressor,condenser, etc.

The reference numeral 25 generally designates an elongated drawer guideand return unit according to the invention of which there are preferablytwo in each installation, each acting within one of the two internallyinsulated side walls 12, 13 of cabinet structure 10. FIG. 4 shows theseunits as extending through, and well packed into, the wall insulatingmaterial 14.

with the result that a freezing of condensate within the guide unit 25cannot take place, such as might interfere with a proper, friction-freeaction of that unit, or the other sliding drawer provisions with whichit is associated.

The control and return unit 25 comprises a considerably elongatedexternal housing tube 26 of cylindrical cross section, preferably formedof a noncorrosive material, such as aluminum tubing. The tube 26internally receives concentrically an elongated guide and return rod 28,shown as being of only a bit less length than the tube. Desirably, therod is of one-half O.D. solid section steel, appropriately heat treatedand chromium finished or otherwise treated to resist wear and corrosion.The tubes 26 are suitably secured at their rear in respect to the rearof the respective cabinet walls 12, 13 as by means of apertures 29 inthe tubes for the purpose; and plugs 30 seal the tube rear ends.

As seen in FIG. 3, each rod 28 is shouldered adjacent its rear end toreceive a thrust washer 32, held in place by a castellated and pinnednut 33; and a coil compression spring 34 abuts rearwardly against washer32 as a backstop. The free length of spring 34 may be chosen as desired,as may be its spring force as will appear. It will not, however, beforwardly restrained in the free condition of unit 25, which appears inFIG. 3.

Guide tube 26 is provided adjacent its forward end (right hand as viewedin FIG. 3) with a first bearing 36 of a known type which abuts forwardlyagainst, and is thereby stopped by, a spun-in end shoulder 37 on tube26. A second similar bearing 38 is spaced axially to the rear of bearing36, abutting against and being stopped by an annular shoulder 39 rolledradially inwardly in tube 26. An elongated compression spring 40surrounds the return rod 28, as slitlably guided by bearings 36, 38,thus maintaining these hearings in proper axial spacing, yet enabling avery inexpensive assembly of the bearings and rod in the tube. Theforward end of each external guide tube 26 is fairly loosely receivedwithin an opening 41 in the front upright panel facing 42 ofa side wall12 or 13 of cabinet l; and the return rod 28 of each unit 25, projectingto the right from its tube 26, is appropriately secured to the frontslidable closure panel 18, as through the agency of an appropriateopening 43 in the rod.

FIGS. 3 and 5 illustrate structural features of the like bearings 36,38. As indicated above, the invention claims no novelty in such anantifriction device, per so, although their ball bearing el'licicncylends considerably to the reliable operation of the tube units 25. Eachof bearings 36, 38 comprises an outer shell 45 in lixcd relation to tube26, which shell bears four radial depressions 46 spacedcircumferentially equally from one another, and an inner shell 47 whichacts as a cage for four series of antifriction balls 48. The lattertravel orbitally in retainer slots of shell member 47, through whichthey are exposed for rolling engagement with the rod 28, in the mannerindicated in FIG. 5, as the rod slides axially within tube 26. Theefficiency of this type of bearing structure complemcnts the protectionafforded the guide and return tube units 25 in attaining a long life ofproper performance under conditions which are usually less than thebest.

lclaim:

l. A refrigerator-type structure having a cabinet interior defined by atleast one hollow side wall affording a space between wall panelsthereof, a unit mounted for retractile and return movement out of andinto said cabinet interior, and guide and return means assisting in theguiding of said unit for said movement, comprising an elongated tubeextending longitudinally through said wall panel space and secured tothe cabinet, an elongated rod slidable in said tube and connected tosaid unit at a point remote from the securement ofsaid tube to thecabinet, bearing means guiding said rod for movement in the tube, andspring means adapted to act between said rod and a fixed part of saidguide means to come under compression when said unit is predeterminedlyretracted outwardly in relation to the cabinet interior.

2. A refrigeratortypc structure having a cabinet interior defined by atleast one internally hollow side wall provided with insulating materialfilling a space between wall panels thereof, a unit slidably mounted forretractile and return movement out of and into said cabinet interior andhaving a forward closure member for at least a part of the cabinet, andguide and return means assisting in the guiding of said unit for saidsliding movement, comprising an elongated tube extending longitudinallythrough said wall panel space and said insulating material and securedto the cabinet adjacent the rear of said wall, an elongated rod slidablein said tube and connected to said closure member of said unit, bearingmeans guiding said rod for movement in the tube, and spring meansadapted to act between said rod and a fixed part of said guide means tocome under compression when said unit and its closure member arepredeterminedly retracted outwardly in relation to the cabinet interior.

3, The structure of claim I, in which said spring means comes undercompression directly to the rear of said bearing means.

4. The structure of claim 2, in which said spring means comesundercompresssion against a part of said tube directly to the rear ofsaid bearing means, said tube part rearwardly sustaining an element ofsaid bearing means.

5. The structure of claim 3, in which said bearing means comprisesfront-to-rear spaced bearing elements in said tube, in which elementsthe rod is guided for movement.

6. The structure of claim 4, in which said bearing means comprisesfront-to-rear spaced bearing elements in said tube adjacent the forwardend of the latter, in which elements the rod is guided for slidingmovement.

7. The structure of claim 4, in which said bearing means comprisesfront-to-rear spaced bearing elements in said tube adjacent the forwardend of the latter, in which elements the rod is guided for slidingmovement, the rearmost of said elements being rearwardly sustained bysaid tube part.

8. The structure of claim 5, in which said bearing elements are urgedand spaced away from one another by further spring means in the tube.

9. The structure of claim 6, In which said bearing elements are urgedand spaced away from one another by further spring means in the tube.

10. The structure of claim 7, in which said bearing elements are urgedand spaced away from one another by further spring means in the tube.

11. The structure of claim 4, in which said sustaining tube partcomprises a radial indentation in said tube.

12. The structure of claim 7, in which said sustaining tube partcomprises a radial indentation in said tube.

13. The structure of claim 10, in which said sustaining tube partcomprises a radial indentation in said tube.

